There’s always a place for a magnificently luxurious lodge and a fabulous dinner in a new, cool-as-a-cucumber restaurant, but what really sets our souls on fire when we travel are the stories. Those wild, weird, and utterly wonderful moments that you tell your friends about again and again.
We’re talking about puma tracking in Patagonia, sleeping out under the stars in Botswana’s ancient Tsodilo Hills, or watching Emperor penguin chicks waddle across the Antarctic ice… The kind of experiences that make travel truly magic.
Save critically-endangered African rhino
South Africa
Enjoy a backstage pass to the conservation of black and white rhino (and beyond) in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. After black rhinos were reintroduced into Kwandwe Private Game Reserve in 2000, the region has grown into a crucial stronghold for one of Africa’s most threatened species. This experience is hands-on and deeply humbling with the chance to join rangers and vets as they track rhinos through the bush, before assisting with vital procedures like notching, fitting tracking collars and collecting data.
Cruise beside the orcas of Shiretoko
Japan
In many ways, the waters off Shiretoko National Park constitute one of the last truly untouched marine ecosystems of the Northern Hemisphere. It’s here you can set sail just off the coast of Rausu, keeping your eyes peeled for the sleek, black dorsal fin of an orca slicing through the glassy sea. Watch in fascination as these piebald predators hunt in tight-knit family groups, surrounded by drift ice and plunging, snow-capped peaks. As you go, keep one eye on the shoreline for the brown bears that roam the landscape.
See the first steps of the Emperor penguins
Antarctica
Deep in Antarctica’s frozen wilderness, Emperor penguins endure one of the harshest breeding cycles on the planet. Eggs are balanced on the feet of males throughout winter to keep them safe and warm and, by spring, downy, peeping chicks emerge, ready to take their first steps onto the ice. Leave your luxury camp behind on a scenic flight to Atka Bay, where you can watch this enthralling and endearing spectacle play out before you.
Trek to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery
Bhutan
Embark on a vertiginous trek from Paro Valley to the iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery – a journey that will take you through fragrant pine forests draped in prayer flags, incense drifting on the breeze and anticipation building. Eventually, you’ll round the final bend to see this sacred monastery seemingly suspended between earth and sky.
Meet the pangolins of Gorongosa
Mozambique
Despite its shy demeanor and curious, armour-like exterior, the pangolin is one of the most trafficked mammals in the world. Happily, groundbreaking work is being done for pangolins in Gorongosa National Park, where guests have the opportunity to join researchers as they track rehabilitated individuals, learning all about how they’re monitored and protected. Life changing to say the least.
Spy snow leopards in the Himalayas
India
Embark on an adventure in the dramatic valleys of the Western Himalayas, your eyes scanning every cliff for the ghostly, camouflaged figure of a stealthy snow leopard. Led by expert local trackers, you’ll use every clue and gut feeling in pursuit of a sighting. Until finally, you may just see a pale shape moving across a ridge, almost invisible against the rock and snow. The experience is staggering and altogether dreamlike.
Take part in puma conservation
Chile
On the windswept pampas bordering Torres del Paine National Park, Estancia Cerro Guido has turned conservation travel on its head. You’ll learn all about how the coexistence of pumas and livestock works, and the significant strides being made in the protection of pumas as a keystone species in Patagonia. Led by expert trackers and researchers, venture into puma territory in search of these elusive cats – sightings are among the best in the world.
Sleep in the sacred Tsodilo Hills
Botswana
Only possible during a stay at Nxamaseri Island Lodge, a sleepout amongst the sacred Tsodilo Hills is truly once-in-a-lifetime. Spend an evening of storytelling around the fire with San Bushmen, fall asleep under an unbelievably clear sky, and watch dawn break from one of Botswana’s highest points. The hills are also home to over 4,500 rock paintings, which provide insight into the San people’s lives from thousands of years ago.
From the most magical moments spent in the company of wildlife to ancient strongholds of spirituality and culture, these experiences are some of the most unique on Earth. And they’ll simultaneously quench and refuel your wanderlust.
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